East Side Paranormal Blogs

Monday, March 31, 2008

So let me explain. I know orbs when I see them, I know that they have no place in the paranormal evidence vault. I know every possible way of creating an orb. THIS series of photos has still to this day left me stumped. Every time I look at it I become even more puzzled.

These photos were taken on July 14th, 2007 when we were investigating the Enosburgh Opera House. As you can see they are labeled where they were taken, 2 on the stage and 1 in the hallway. A floor apart, I doubt that whatever phenomenon created them is connected to the other, which just gives them a smidgens more credence. Just so all of you know that the images were not altered I'll post the originals.

Pretty obvious here, it's the floating ball in the door way.

Look to the top right, the white dot.

Again, in the top left.

Anyone with any explanations please contact us, we are MORE than open to an explanation. We're stumped...

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Hey, It's Shane again. Figured since we had nothing but talk about EMFs on our last investigation, I figured it'd be a good idea to take a minute to talk about what they really are and how they can effect an investigation.

What Are They?

An Electromagnetic Field is a physical field that is produced by electrically charged objects and affects the behavior of charged objects in the vicinity of the field. The electric field is produced by stationary charges, and the magnetic field by moving charges (currents); these two are often described as the sources of the field. One can ask What is the difference between an electric field and a magnetic field? Actually both are usually all around us, since they are present wherever there is electricity. Both an electric and a magnetic field exist around power lines, appliances, light fixtures, and electric wiring; but electromagnetic fields are generated only when current is flowing through a wire. The voltage on a wire produces electric fields. A good thing to remember is an electric current flowing in a wire or coil produces its own magnetic field. A good way to test for this without an EMF detector is a compass needle will swing at right angles to the wire.

The Ghost Theory

The theory is that ghosts feed off energy, what better source that Electromagnetic Fields? And if there's un-natural EMFs then there's a possibility that there may be a ghost connected to the phenomenon. The end result is a cue to start taking IC Recordings (EVP Sweeps), pictures, film, etc.

How Do They Effect People?

Some scientists have proven that high EMF disorients people, makes them sick, and thereby making them susceptible to hallucinations, paranoia, and other "Paranormal" phenomenon. EMF can also cause in some cases migraines and naseua. We think that this is why some people think that they have encountered ghosts where there are high EMF readings. Which is hard to dispute with scientific backing.

Tools of the Trade and Tips

East Side Paranormal™ uses two different types of EMF detectors, well one now... But that will be discussed later. Some tips that need to be remembered are...The Tips+ Do a dry-run of the building that you're investigating. See if you can find leaks or any other natural sources of EMF. If you can find some, then you shouldn't use an EMF detector in that area.+ Check all sources of electrical interaction. I.e. Light switches, Outlets, Appliances, even radiators, etc. And if it's possible, ask to poke around the basement. Check for copper pipes, loose wires, foil insulation, and ask were their power box/ fuse boxe (s) are. Make sure to note where they run too for later on in your investigation. + Finally be rational. If you start to get readings, take a breath and start looking for a source right away. You don't want to take too long just in case it is in fact an entitiy. Do a quick search for the above listed culprits, and if none pan out then proceed with EVP and Photo sweeps.The Tools

As I stated before we DID use two EMF detectors. 1 is the lamely titled "Ghost Meter", and the other was the "ElectroSensor". We've found that the "ElectroSensor" may be good for casual sweeps in the professional realm, but for ghost hunting it's just not very good. You have to hold a button and it's very touchy so it doesn't give very accurate readings. It doesn't give instant results and the lowest Mg (Milligauss) reading is 1.5. So we've decided to retire the "ElectroSensor" into the East Side Paranormal™ relics vault.

The "Ghost Meter" on the other hand is very handy (har har...puns...). The red section actually lights up and blinks according to the amount of Mg going through it, which helps when you may have a flash light to see slight fluctations. It has an audible alarm that beeps in synch with the light, and it has a button that you push on and off. No holding it down, turn it on and just do you sweeps. You could even lay it on a table or bed during EVP sweeps.Overall the "Ghost Meter" is just as the package claims (Fun-Simple-Thrilling!).

So there's my little blurb about EMFs for those who didn't quite understand them, or just wanted to hear me rant (haha). The "Ghost Meter" is actually reasonably priced for those who don't have one. You can purchase one at Ghost Hunter Store.com.

ESP™ feels that orbs are not a legit form of paranormal evidence. Those with background knowledge of photography know that there are just too many factors that could effect the photograph. If you have any photos with "Orbs" then you should check this warning list to authenticate the "para" from the "normal".

One of the most common sources for "Orbs" is Moisture. Moisture will reflect the flash on most digital cameras, the water in the air reflects the flash like hundreds of little mirrors, which will give you the appearance of white/translucent "Orbs"

*Another mistaken culprit can be Dust. Dust does basically the same thing as moisture. So be careful when taking pictures in attics, basements, or old buildings in general.

*Actual energy Orbs. It is a well known science fact that energy Orbs DO exist. So this does not necessarily mean that it is a spirit. The only correlation between entities and Orbs is the theory that entities draw energy from the environment around them, so hence "Where there's Orbs, There's Ghosts…."

BUGS!. Bugs are the worst things in the world and can create some of those most disappointing pictures. They fly, and create glowing splotches on the picture. But you can mainly tell by the wings, body, or just by their oval apperance.

Hey, It's Shane again, from (EAST SIDE PARANORMAL) and I just wanted to write some more about photography. Many people don't realize how many things can go wrong in a photo. And it's not always the operators error. But we were searching the net for photos and we stumbled upon this site which had a lot of pictures with "apparitions", Now I'm not saying these aren't bonafide ghosts, but I'm saying that we made an interesting observation. The power of suggestion and interpretation is great. If someone says they caught a picture of a ghost and you don't seem to notice it, you may think that there is nothing in the photo. But after having it pointed out you'll see it everytime. Which leads to the point of this blog. I have 2 photos for you to examine, one being a famous optical illusion, and the other being a file photo (Courtesy of ghosthauntings.org).

Exhibit A: The Photo

I want you to carefully examine this photo, and think if you see anything before you progress any further. Give it a minute.See anything?If you didn't, you should have seen a face in the window (or claimed, 3 faces). If you didn't, there is a photo with highlights to show you the features.

Exhibit B: The Photo "Analysis" See this is the power of suggestion, if you didn't see the faces, your mind is now trained to see what I have suggested you see. Now look at the photo again, you'll pic it out in milliseconds.

Now that we've covered the power of suggestion, we'll move on to the power of interpretation.

Exhibit C: The Optical Illusion

Now upon further inspection of the photo, we've come to realize what we think is causing this anomaly. If you look carefully you may notice what appears to be the shadow of trees cast upon the window. Inspection of the photo will show there to be many shadows, leading to the assumption that the conditions would allow this phenomenon. We may be wrong, but this is what we feel. Interpretation. This is where the optical illusion comes in. There is a famous picture of an optical illusion we'd like to show.

Now you'll notice what appears to be either two faces, or a glass/chalice. Depeding on what?, Interpretation. If you focus your eyes on the white what do you see? Chalice. If you focus on the black?, Two profiles. This same thing can be done with the photo above, but for ease I'll post it again.

See? Now we're not claiming these to be examples of false evidence. But rather we're just giving the photo another explanation. And we hope people can do the same.

If you have any examples of photos you think may be like this photo and just a subject of optical illusion, PLEASE feel free to post them or post links to them.

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

I just wanted to talk about Evps and the methods we use to record and analyze them. The program that we use is called AcidPro, it is made by sony and is a little pricy, but it is definitely worth picking up for anyone trying to become serious about paranormal investigations. I feel that it's really important to have a visual aid with your Evps. This allows you to see the sound waves and better anaylze any discrepancy in the file. I've included a pic of the program for you to see what I mean.

The flat lines are silence and the peaks are audio events.

You don't have to go out and spend the (MSRP: $400) on this particular program. There are many other programs that give you the same effect. It's just a good help in finding anomolies.

Monday, March 10, 2008

Television is becoming more and more fixated on the paranormal now with popular television shows like "Ghost Hunters" on SciFi, and "Paranormal State" on A&E. But are the shows just garbage?, just more mindless entertainment for the gullible? With this quick review, I'll help weed out the nonesense from the creme de la cremLet's start with the heavy hitters "Ghost Hunters" and "Paranormal State"."Ghost Hunters"/ SciFi * * * * * Ghost Hunters is a personal favorite of mine, and the rest of the crew at ESP. With their deep roots in scientific analysis, and their importance of seperating their religions from their work. Extreme professionalism only strengthens the credibility of ANY evidence they find. For paranormal investigators the show is nothing less than an educational program. The show stays away from showing only cases where they produce results, and prides themselves in displaying the cases where the debunk alot of claims. In all this show is a must for any Ghost enthusiast, or Ghost Hunter. "Paranormal State"/ A&E *Paranormal State is ALL about just reinforcing believers with more than skeptical evidence, and using their "word" as credibility. From the begining I knew a bunch of college kids performing seances would prove to be nothing less than hillariously bad. But calling their sessions "Dead Time", and allowing the residents to accompany them (to add fuel to the non-existent fire) is just amatuer at best. Please avoid this if your looking for help structutring your group or trying to learn new techniques. We thank you greatly...

"Most Haunted"/ Travel Channel * *Ever see someone become possesed? Ever see a psychic fail miserably trying to describe what happened in a building? Look no further, you'll find all this and more in this hokey television show filled with Psychics, Mediums, Sensetives, and everything in between. With a cast (of what appears to be) B-Movie actors, "Most Haunted" brings us around the world as the team of psychics try to make contact with various famous and not so famous ghosts. Believable? No. Hillarious? Yes. And that is the ONLY reason this show gets 2 stars...

This show is very hit or miss. Sometimes the episodes are good just to watch the various stories, since it doesn't just focus on ghosts. But when the investigations are on, 9 out of 10 times it's complete amatuers doing the investigating (more often than not teenagers or college kids). But it's worth it to see some experts speculate over the theories surrounding some of the world's bigger paranormal mysteries.

Again very strong in the story telling department rather than actual investigating. More for entertainment than any educational purposes. Each episode contains two stories relived by the people who experienced them. The stories range from UFO's to Ghosts to everyones favorite missing link "Bigfoot". So "Scary... But True" scores a 2 for it's interesting stories.

"A Haunting"/ Discovery * * * *

"Scary... But True" with a better budget and an extra half hour. This show does a really good job of documenting everyone involved and just being a straight up one hour re-enactment. Love the stories that are shown, even seen TAPS hit a few of 'em in their show. Not always believable (a couple possession/ exorcist episodes) but Discovery does a job of staying unbiased and let the stories speak for themselves. If only they would pick up "Ghost Hunters".... Maybe in a perfect world....

"Dead Famous"/ Bio * * *

2 of the members of "Most Haunted" break off to hit up haunted spots once frequented by big name celebrities looking for residual energies. Basically same deal as "Most Haunted" but a little bit better... but equally as funny.

"Ghostly Encounters"/ Bio *

"A Haunting", without the budget. Hokey is the best way to explain this show.

" SciFi Investigates"/ SciFi * * *

I really used to like this show, not exactly the most scientific, and they never really found anything. But I liked the way they split up the opinions on the team (a Skeptic, a Forensic Investigator, and a Scientist). They went around the U.S. looking for signs of the paranormal, hitting, "Mothman", "Bigfoot", UFO's, and a brief stint on ghosts. But... apparently not enough people liked it, SciFi pulled the plug after only one season.

"Destination Truth"/ SciFi * * * *

Ghost Hunter's little brother, "Destination Truth" is nothing short of amazing. THEY NEVER FIND ANYTHING. And I don't care. The host Josh Gates travels around the world (or it seems like Papau New Guinea) haha, looking for mythological creatures that lurk in the waters, caves, and skies of third world countries. But the show is a gas, just to watch was some people believe, and just to listen to Josh and his smartass remarks. "Destination Truth" although it's a farcry from revolutionary, is still a must for any cryptozoology buff.

Well, that's enough for now. I might do a follow up with Ghost Movies. But for now I hope this was a good reference to help you avoid the toilet bowl of Paranormal programming...

Saturday, July 21, 2007

THE HISTORYThe Enosburg Opera House was built in 1892. We went to investigate the story of a spirit named "Willy", the son of a laborer. It is said that Willy fell while working in the attic, broke his leg and died; forgotten by everyone. The ghost is reported to be playful and is blamed for moving props and stealing playbooks. Many people have reported hearing footsteps in the attic of the theater, though no one has ever seen Willy. The E.S.P. team went in hopes of getting Willy to come out and play.

LOOKING FOR THE OPERA’S PHANTOMAccording to our tour guide, activity had been reported in the attic, by the stage and in the refreshment room. This was the perfect night for the debut performance of some new equipment, infrared cameras. The tech team set the cameras up in the refreshment room and by the stage, and placed a digital recorder in the attic. These would run the entire time we were there, undisturbed. Once the equipment was in place, we set out to prove or disprove Willy’s continued existence.

THE INVESTIGATIONWe had divided into three teams. Leaving team one to watch monitors, another team headed up to the stage area while the third stayed on the ground level to investigate the green room and the men’s and women’s dressing rooms. Within minuets of settling in, "things" started to happen.

The group by the stage started to hear movement, and called on the radios to see if anyone was making noise. Then, the group downstairs heard what sounded like a hand swiping at the wall. When trying to use the radios, strange noises drowned out reception. One of the investigators expressed to a teammate his hope of catching the noises on the recording, as many times what the human ear hears is not always picked up by a recorder, and vice versa.Activity continued throughout the night. The original curtain for the theater hangs backstage and is being restored. Against this backdrop, an investigator reported seeing an "orb" materialize, move to the left of the curtain, and disappear. Knocks and bangs turned many investigators’ heads, radios continued to transmit noises that sounded like frequency disturbances and groans.

Equipment stopped working at times. The monitor hooked up to the I.R. camera in the refreshment room seemed to have frequency disturbances, a voice recorder had battery issues, and one of the team members had a digital camera stop working – even after replacing the batteries. Oddly, our EMF (electro magnetic frequency) detectors were unaffected all night.

THE EVIDENCEThe evidence was startling. The sound of a hand swiping the wall in the greenroom was caught on tape. The eerie sounds on the radios squawked back at us from our recordings. A knock and other sounds were caught on the recorder left by itself in the attic. The tape of the refreshment room had gone black with a mysterious light anomaly – possible orbs – being the only image recorded at those times. And the camera that wouldn’t work? It was fully functional then next day.

This investigator has never been so surprised by an investigation. The results were startling and give me reason to believe there is an opera ghost in the hamlet of Enosburg.

ESP Media Center

East Side Paranormal Links

Do You Belive in Ghosts?

One Year in the Bag...

About ESP

East Side Paranormal (ESP) was created by Shane and Noreen Beyor in late 2004. Anchored strongly in the scientific portion of the field, we are all about investigating the paranormal with skepticism and a scientific mindset. We don't go to an area to prove a haunting or activity, we go to disprove the haunting. Our services are completely free of charge, and we cover a large portion of the state of Vermont, and outlying regions of New England.